Rummikub

First to zero wins

This is a numbers game for two to four players which is similar to the classic card game Rummy. Players race to be the first to discard all their tiles to win the game.

Components and Set up

The game includes 106 tiles which are numbered from 1 to 13. These come in 4 different colours: black, blue, red and orange. In addition, there are two jokers. There are four player stands to hold tiles and an egg-timer.

To start a game, mix all the tiles. I have made a material bag that I place all the tiles into. Then, each player takes 14 tiles at random and places them on their stands in such a way that the other players cannot see.

Now we are ready for the off.

Gameplay

Turns proceed clockwise around the table. On their turn, players do one of two actions: either place a tile or tiles out onto the table or take one tile from the bag / supply. This continues until one player has discarded all their tiles. Now we have a winner.

The one drawback with this game is that players can be tempted to spend a long time deliberating what to do, so-called analysis paralysis or AP. This can frustrate other players. This is where the egg-timer comes in; this gives players only one minute to make their move. Obviously, any other timer could be used and any other time-limit could be adopted to suit the players.

To start discarding tiles, a player first has to collect sets of tiles with a combined value of at least 30. Sets can consist of either the same number but different colours or a set could be a sequential run of numbers in one colour. When discarding for the first time, each set has to include at least 3 tiles. So, a set could be 3 tiles with a value of 10 (eg red, blue and black), and this one set would also satisfy the requirement for a minimum of 30 points for the first discard. Alternatively, a first discard could include multiple sets. For example, red, blue and black ‘7’ (= 21 points) together with 4, 5 and 6 in orange (= 15 points). This would represent a total of 36 points, satisfying the 30-point minimum rule. Once a player has made their initial discard, on future turns the player may play any number of tiles and any value of tiles out onto the table. For example, if orange 4, 5 and 6 are out on the table, a player could play orange 3 and / or 7 to continue the sequence. Each set out on the table must contain at least 3 tiles, but players can break up existing sets to form new ones. So, if red/blue/black 7s are out as a set and a player has black 5 & 6 and orange 7 on their stand, then a possible move would be to detach the black ‘7’ from the set and play this together with the black 5 & 6 from their stand, thus creating a set of 3 tiles. The red and blue 7s out on the table no longer represent a legal set, so the player adds the orange 7 from their stand. Now, the set is legal.

The two jokers can be used as any number in any colour.

As more tiles are placed out on the table, more possibilities for set-manipulation appear. This is where the timer stops your brain from melting.

Scoring

When one player has no tiles left, the other players total the values of their remaining tiles. This is their score; however, it is a minus score! The winner totals the scores of the other players, and this is a plus score. Alternatively, the winner can score 0, while the others score the total of their tile values. Remember not to get caught with a joker at game end, as these each count as 30 points!

As a typical game lasts about 30 minutes, the final winner can be determined on the basis of the aggregate score over a series of rounds. Thus, the ultimate overall winner may not have actually won any of the individual rounds.

Impressions

This game may at first glance seem as dry as dust, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Luck plays its part, as you never know what tiles you will get. But players are not generally at its mercy. Provided a timer is used, the game moves at a relatively brisk pace and there is a real sense of achievement when you are able to place that last tile or create an opening to play out several tiles. Not infrequently, it can happen that the player who makes their initial discard last can end up the winner as there can be more opportunities open on the table.